Tarbosaurus
'Tarbosaurus' (name meaning "''Alarming Lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Asia. The second-largest member of the Tyrannosaur family, after Tyrannosaurus rex itself, Tarbosaurus was clearly an apex predator of its region. Measuring around 13 meters in length and weighing 6 tons, this large, carnivorous dinosaur hunted most prey items, such as Saurolophus, one of the largest in its area, as well as its natural enemy, Therizinosaurus. Facts Era & Discovery Tarbosaurus lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous period around 80 million years ago and died out with all the other dinosaurs toward the end of the Cretaceous about 65 million years ago. As some of the first members of the tyrannosaur family, it was the largest and apex predator of its ecosystem, living alongside and even hunting dinosaurs like Velociraptor, Mononykus, Protoceratops, Saurolophus, and even Therizinosaurus. Tarbosaurus was first discovered in Mongolia in 1946. Physical Attributes As the second-largest member of the Tyrannosaur family, Tarbosaurus was such a large predator, in fact, one of the largest theropod dinosaurs that ever walked the Earth. They stood 15–16 feet (4–5 m) tall, measured 32–43 feet (9–13 m) long, and weighed up to 4–6 tons (8,000–12,000 lbs.). Being the Asian cousin of its American relatives Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus,[[ Daspletosaurus| Daspletosaurus]], and Tyrannosaurus rex, Tarbosaurus had the basic body plan of a generic theropod dinosaur. It was similar to its close and larger relative, Tyrannosaurus, but had a sleeker, slimmer head. It also had completely grey scales. Tarbosaurus would occasionally walk vertically, in order to balance its massive head with the rest of its body. The top predator of Mongolia at the end of the Late Cretaceous period, Tarbosaurus was the largest terrestrial predators of their region because they stood tall and stood vertically. Their small arms at the front helped balance their massive heads with their huge skulls and massive teeth for making devastating bites into prey and pulling out chunks of flesh. In addition, Tarbosaurus had good hearing. Behavior & Traits Unlike most other members of the tyrannosaur family that hunted in packs, Tarbosaurus was often a solitary hunter, only getting together in groups during mating season. However, they have been known to hunt in packs some of the time. Tarbosaurus was an aggressive apex predator that hunted alone and would attack probably any other animal in the Mongolian Desert. Perhaps the only animal that posed a threat to a Tarbosaurus - save for another of its own species - was its natural enemy, Therizinosaurus. Journal Entry Gallery imagesCAU960EM.jpg imagesCA8EV6H5.jpg imagesCA7USLSE.jpg|Tarbosaurus drinking 300px-Tarbosaurus2d-1-.jpg TGC_NigelHidesFromTarbosaurus.jpg Trivia *''Tarbosaurus'' was the first member of the tyrannosaur family to be brought to the park. **Additionally, it is also the fourth largest predatory dinosaur of the park. *The sound effects of Tarbosaurus are that of an elephant, tiger, crocodile, and a bear. *''Tarbosaurus'' was actually larger than ''Therizinosaurus'', as opposed to as large. Category:Prehistoric Animals Category:Dinosaurs Category:Reptiles Category:Cretaceous Dinosaurs Category:Cretaceous Wildlife Category:Tyrannosaurs Category:Largest Carnivorous Dinosaurs Category:Carnivores Category:Apex Predators Category:Theropods